There are two views through which we can see why we indulge in our bad habits and continue to do so even though we know they are wrong. The first view, Christianity, is very specific in its explanations, which are given in its core doctrinal document, the Bible. In the Bible, we can find information on where our bad habits originated, what exactly constitutes a “bad habit”, and what we can do to prevent continuation of wrong doing. The other view, the secular view, is a compilation of evolutionary information and studies involving looking at our brain as we perform certain bad habits. The secular view offers biological and psychological information that gives us tangible evidence showing how our bodies react during wrong doing, but besides data there are no clear explanations given to the questions of origin or confronting our bad habits. So in conclusion, the secular view gives us a lot of solid evidence as compared to the faith based information provided in the Bible. Also, Christianity seems to be able to offer explanations of origin and confronting our bad habits, while a secular view seems to not offer much information in these areas.

When addressing a broad explanation of bad habits, it would be a benefit to narrow the view to regard the roots of all our bad habits. Some time ago, theologians established seven roots, known as the seven deadly sins (Llansana 188). These seven deadly sins are lust, gluttony, sloth, pride, greed, envy, and wrath. Performing any one of these can lead to a multitude of other wrongdoing, such as a feelings of wrath can lead one to murder or envy can lead an individual to

Timothy 2

steal. Since we are addressing origins of wrong doing, sticking to the roots bad habits seems like a good idea.

In regards to origins, Christian doctrine begins in the book of Genesis in the Bible with the creation of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden (Bible Genesis 1:1). God made a perfect creation but because of the free will he gave to Adam and Eve, they chose to disobey him and destroyed this perfection (Bible Genesis 1:1). This was the birth of original sin, which has been passed on to subsequent generations, leading to our wrong doing today. The roots of these wrong doings, the seven deadly sin, arose because of a desire for perfection in the theology of monasticism (Frank 96). Theologians analyzed the Bible and defined seven root sins so those seeking perfection could define what exactly they needed to do to achieve it.

On the other hand, the secular view of origins is not as definite as that of Christianity.  It holds the view that the origin of wrongdoing can be contributed to human nature, which developed through the evolutionary process (McGowan 2). Some of the deadly sins can be seen as virtues taken to an extreme and in today’s society are even used for our benefit (Frank 97). Lust is an extreme form of love of the opposite sex, which originally arose from the need for reproduction to keep ones group alive. Gluttony, likewise, is an exaggerated form of hunger. If a group of people was to survive they needed food (McGowan 2). Thus if early humans did not listen to these basic instincts they could not survive and indulging in them to the extreme could give an advantage over competitors (McGowan 2).

Christianity clearly defines what sin is by what is written in the Bible. The writers in the Bible define the expectations of God is such laws as the Ten Commandments and the teachings of the

Timothy 3

prophet Jesus, also called the Son of God ( Bible Exodus 20)(Bible Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Theologians, such as Origen and St. Thomas Aquinas have interpreted the scriptures and defined for Christians with further precision what exactly they are not supposed to do to avoid indulging in bad habits (Llansana 188). Thus through the teachings of the Bible and writings of theologians, Christians are well informed on what is considered wrong.

The secular view differs from Christianity by drawing its deductions from scientific studies which use techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or surveys. The fMRI shows what parts of the brain are active when someone does something wrong, while surveys can be used to determine with what wrongdoing an individual most closely associates and which one they think to be the worst (McGowan 1)(Nauta 180). Through interpretation and study, individuals of the secular view are able to gain further understanding into what is constituted as wrong doing.

Christianity desires to help those who are lost in their wrongdoing to repent and accept that they need help from a higher being (God) in order to regain control. Through reading the Bible an individual can acquire knowledge that will help them control their urges for wrongdoing (Bible 1^st Corinthians 10). They will also find God’s promise to forgive them when they mess up and his desire for them to pray to him when they need help (Bible Psalm 39). This provides an individual with assistance in combating their urges and ultimately can lead them to a more fulfilling Christian lifestyle. The secular view, however, really offers no hope for an individual. The scientific studies, such as the fMRI, say that there is no sin complex in the brain which we can just shut off (McGowan 2).

Timothy 4

As with other disorders, there is the use of medication to regulate the disorder. However, wrong doing is just not a disorder that can be regulated with medication (McGowan 2). There simply just isn’t anything to regulate. The best thing that someone of a secular view point can do is look into all the scientific data that these studies provide. This can offer them some perspective but cannot really help with controlling wrongdoing.

Both view point have their advantages and which viewpoint an individual chooses to view the world with is really up to them. The scientific data of the secular view can really show an individual very specific examples. While on the other side, the Christian view offers much more assurance and provides an individual methods to control wrongdoing. A secular view also never really offers a definite analysis of where the origin or our wrongdoing actually developed, while Christianity can tell us the specific event that causes our urge to commit a sin. Neither side has all the advantages, which is typical dilemma. Just like no matter which view point we choose, we will still face the dilemma of right and wrong.

Word count: 1096

Timothy 5

Work Cited:

McGowan, Kathleen. “Seven Deadly SINS”. Discover Magazine (2009): Pgs. 1-6. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 February 2015

Nauta, Rein, and Leon, Derckx. “Why Sin? A test and an exploration of the social and psychological context of resentment and desire”. Pastoral Psychology 56 (2007): Pgs. 177-188. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 February 2015

Llansana, Lluis, and Josep Gallifa. “Human Passion from Classical Greece to the Contemporary Psychology of Passion and the contribution of Christian Spirituality to the tradition of capital sin”. Journal of Religious History 36.2 (2012): pgs. 184-203

Frank, Lisa. “The Evolution of the Seven Deadly Sins: From God to the Simpsons”. Journal of Popular Culture 35.1 (2001): pgs. 95-105. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 February 2015

Bible. King James Version. Trans. Thomas Nelson Inc.1982